U.S. Pat. No. 6,707,616 discloses catadioptric optic projection objectives which include a plurality of aspheric lens surfaces. For example, the projection objective shown in FIG. 4 includes 12 aspheric lens surfaces for 15 lenses. The manufacturing costs of aspheric lens surfaces with the accuracy required in microlithography are very high. Accordingly, these objectives are of little interest in the marketplace because of the many required aspheric lens surfaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 4.875.380 discloses an optical projection system especially for photolithography. The projection objective known from this publication includes five lens groups. The first, second, third and fifth lens groups each have only one lens. In part, the lenses are provided with aspheric lens surfaces. An aspheric object end mounted lens surface of the fifth lens group follows an aspheric lens surface mounted in the fourth lens group at the image end.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,104,472 discloses the adjacent mounting of aspheric lens surfaces in a projection objective. These aspheric lenses are supported so as to be displaceable in the radial direction. The projection objective is matched via the relative movement of the lenses. The aspheric lens surfaces are especially rotationally unsymmetrical because of the possibility of displacing the aspheres in radial direction with respect to each other. Because of the movable support of the aspheric lenses, this arrangement is not suitable for every projection objective because projection objectives designed especially for short wavelengths react sensitively to the smallest position change of the individual lenses. Accordingly, the position stability, which is achievable because of the special support of the lenses, is not sufficient in order to reliably ensure a good imaging quality.
German patent publication 198 18 444 discloses a projection optic arrangement having a purely refractive projection objective which includes six lens groups G1 to G6. In this projection objective, the lens groups G1, G3 and G5 have positive refractive power. The lens groups G2 and G4 have negative refractive power. To correct imaging errors, some lenses, especially in the fourth and fifth lens groups, have aspheric lens surfaces.
German patent publication 199 42 281.8 discloses additional projection exposure objectives which have six lens groups. The second lens group and the fourth lens group have negative refractive power. In the projection objectives known from this publication, lenses having aspheric lens surfaces are preferably arranged in the first three lens groups. A minimum number of spherical lens surfaces are arranged between the aspheric lens surfaces. This minimum spacing between the aspheric lens surfaces appears necessary so that the utilized aspheric lenses can develop their optimal effect.
From U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,237 it is already known to match an objective in dependence upon barometric pressure via the refractive index of a fill gas in the lens intermediate spaces. For example, spherical aberration, coma and other imaging errors can be corrected with a suitable combination of intermediate spaces.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,584 discloses introducing a protective gas into the intermediate spaces between a wafer and/or a reticle and the projection objective in a projection exposure system for manufacturing microstructured components.